A Tricky Situation
by faerietale
Summary: Percy finds himself in a bit of a pickle, but is he really alone?


Author's Note: Right, so I don't own the amazing world that J.K.R. has created, nor do I own the characters that live there. Don't sue me, or you'll get all my student loans. Yay liberal arts education!! Thanks for reading. Oh, and thanks muchly to Nomad, whose continuity bible saved my sorry butt a few times, and Moey at Sugarquill.net, for being an awesome beta reader.  
  
  
  
Percy looked around him, groaning. All this work, and he was stuck? Surrounded by huge walls of smooth white marble, and no doors. How was he supposed to finish the training mission if he was stuck? He pulled out his wand and held it out. "Point me." It spun around and stopped, pointing behind him. That was the way he needed to go, but how? No doors, no windows, and no ceiling in sight. The walls continued up for as far as he could see. He considered blasting a wall, but thought better of it. When one of the walls went down, it was likely the others would as well. He definitely didn't need to go and get himself killed in a stupid training mission. So this was it, he thought. His first attempt at becoming one of the Wizards who would go against Voldemort, and he was finished. Finished before he started.  
  
((What is he doing?? Doesn't he know how to get out?))  
  
Charlie and Bill had made it; even some of his schoolmates had become part of Albus Dumbledore's forces against Voldemort. But Percy, well, he was stuck in his first training mission. Stuck. In a training mission. It was obvious he had taken a wrong turn somewhere... and too bad, he'd been in the lead last time he checked. He'd been in the lead. and now he was stuck!  
  
((What is he waiting for?))  
  
He rubbed his temples and sighed. What hadn't he tried? Surely he knew something. Gryffindor Prefect, Head Boy, 12 O.W.L.'s, top grades on his N.E.W.T.s.surely he had learned something. He wished he could just mutter some words and have his wand point him to the door. Last chance. He muttered. "Show me." His wand went crazy. It flew from his hand, landed on the floor and sparked. Bright red sparks.  
  
((There it is!!! Go Percy!!))  
  
He walked over to his wand, which had stopped shooting sparks. He picked it up and tapped the floor where it had landed. Nothing happened.  
  
((Hurry up!))  
  
He tapped the floor again, this time muttering a simple unlocking charm. The floor sank, and a staircase appeared. He ran down the stairs, muttering "Lumos!" It didn't help. He walked down the staircase for what felt like forever, but it was not an endless staircase, and he finally reached the bottom. A bright light flashed on when he reached the last step. "Congratulations Mr. Weasley, you're the first person to finish."  
  
  
  
She had been watching him run the training mission, keeping a safe distance behind him. When he ended up in the marble room, she had been right behind him. She knew how to get out. At Beaubaxton's there was a similar scenario in the exit exam. She could have beaten him, but then he wouldn't have been accepted to fight against Voldemort. She couldn't do that to him. He wanted to be a fighter so much, wanted to be accepted in the group of elite wizards fighting for the good of humankind everywhere. They would be the superheroes of the wizarding world. He needed this, and well, she had other chances. There was always next time. When he disappeared down the staircase, she stood up and jumped from the ledge. She pulled off her invisibility cloak, and tapped it with her wand. It vanished. She tapped the floor where the staircase had been and muttered the unlocking spell. The stairs appeared and she ran down them. The faster she ran, the longer the staircase seemed to stretch. Then she saw a light. And Percy. She practically leapt down the remaining steps and landed square on her feet (thanks to being a cat animagus). "Congratulations Ms. Delacour! You have finished but, unfortunately, Mr. Weasley beat you by a minute. I do hope you'll be attempting to try again." Fleur looked down at her feet in mock disappointment. Percy was beaming with pride. That was enough for her. 


End file.
